Day 134 – Happy New Year!

Wishing you all year filled with love, joy, and peace in a world where all three are becoming more and more difficult to find.

The year for me begins with coffee and a dear friend! A family friend and her husband just welcomed a baby boy, while another family friend is being said goodbye to at the age of 7. The year for Turkey began with a shooting. For millions 2017 holds hope for a home, instead of a refugee camp for displaced peoples, or a family instead of orphanage walls… These realities bring me to the place of mixed emotions as this year begins. How can I be more thankful for the life I have been gifted with? How can I help a hurting world? How can I make a difference in the lives of the people I am privileged to share life with? What am I called to in this coming year?

I am so, so blessed by the people in my life! Yes, some people in my life are challenges or EGR (extra grace required) individuals, but the ones that are not, are truly extraordinary!

2017 – May we all be thankful for and invest deeply in the people in our lives who remind us of the beauty of relationships.

Living in the present

I saw this point (“Living in the Past”) on instagram by Amy King, as something she’d like to work on this year. I can’t tell you how many of my worries/fears/heartaches in 2016 have come from living in the past. Yes, the past is a part of my/all of our life stories, but it doesn’t have to reflect on every page and it’s certainly not the end.

2017– May we all live in the present and look forward to incredible futures.

Something New

“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19

2017 – May we all cling to the truth of this verse and wait in expectation (Psalm 5:3) of what is to come!

Grace

My friend posted this online ….

“When you start to feel like things should have been better this year, remember the mountains and valleys that got you here. They are not accidents and those moments weren’t in vain. You are not the same. You have grown and are growing, you are breathing and you are living. You are wrapped in endless, boundless grace and things will get better, there is more to you than yesterday.” – Morgan Harper Nichols

2017 – May we truly embrace the grace we are gifted with in Christ.

Depth

“It’s not the length of life, it’s the depth.” (Posted by Shelly Giglio)

As you read in the paragraph at the top, I have been reminded lately that our days are numbered(Psalm 39:4), yet even little Ava (the 7-year-old) has left a mark on this world. She has taught the world what the faith of a child (Matthew 18:3) truly means.

2017 – May this year count for more than just a GPA or pay check. May it truly count for eternity, none of us know how many days we have left. May we make them count.

Focus

This world is drenched in need. most of us don’t even need to look outside our homes to see need. Need may come in emotional healing of relationships all the way to literally just the essentials of survival.

2017 – May we know what need we are called to help, and be willing/joyful in that.

Joy

In a world with such loss and pain, it is hard to be filled with true joy, but I hope that this year is marked by a joy that can truly only come from God.

“Be truly glad, there is wonderful joy ahead!” – 1 Peter 1:6

“One who is filled with joy preaches without preaching.” – Mother Teresa

2017 – May we be filled with joy this year!

Rejoice in the little things

“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin..” – Zechariah 4:10

It can be so easy to get caught up in the dramas of life. Complaining comes naturally to me, as I’m sure it does to many of you.

2017 – May we all rejoice in the little things.

Kindness

Kindness can go a long way! My dad always says, “It doesn’t take much to be thoughtful in life.”

2017 – May this year be filled with little acts of thoughtful kindness.

There you have it! Yes, there are many, many more things that I would like to work on in 2017 like:
– Form a doable routine (for life in general, but specifically for prayer and journaling)
– Getting in better physical shape
– Learn how to play the guitar
– Go on a girl’s trip
– Minimize the amount of items I own and donate whatever possible for other people to enjoy.
… these are just a glimpse, but the ones above are what I would truly like to focus most on this year.

May all of our hearts find new refreshment this year and may at least some of our New Year’s resolutions become reality!